Why write a book?

Why should you write a book, and how long should you keep trying?

Two very different questions with very different answers.

First, of course, writing a book has numerous benefits. Having an author’s credit brings you immediate credibility with your audience. If it’s a cookbook, you’re an instant chef. If it’s a business tome, you’re suddenly a financial expert, or a marketing guru, or a mover and shaker. If it’s a medical treatise, you’re in the same ballpark as Drs. Benjamin Spock, Mehmet Oz, or Andrew Weil. If it’s a novel, you become part of the pantheon of Mark Twain, John Grisham, J.K. Rowling.

That’s if you write a book, and if you get it published.

So the second part of the question comes into play. You’ve got a great idea, but how do you put it into play?

In the article “How Long Should You Keep Trying to Get Published?” from Writer’s Digest, Jane Friedman notes several pitfalls to getting published. Friedman is an editor, author, blogger,  professor and former publisher of Writer’s Digest, so she knows whereof she speaks.

First, she identifies four mistakes that can prevent you from being published: Submitting manuscripts that aren’t your best work; looking for major publication of regional or niche work; focusing on publishing when you should be writing; and most germane here, self-publishing when no one is listening.

What she means by that is publishing without researching or developing an audience. Bowker, the agent for issuing ISBNs and providing other information to the publishing industry, reports that in 2011, nearly 150,000 new print books were self-published, as were more than 87,000 e-books. That represents growth of nearly 300 percent since 2006.

And that’s only for those books with ISBNs. Authors who publish through the Kindle Direct Publishing program don’t need an ISBN.

So  it’s obvious that there are A LOT of books out there. Now, does that mean you shouldn’t write a book if you fail to land a deal with a Random House or the like?

Not at all. Friedman herself notes that it’s more viable than ever for a writer to be successful without a traditional publisher or agent.

But not without some effort.

Where does the effort start? There are two keys. One is identifying your audience and then cultivating it. Second is actually writing your book.

We’ll talk about the second part in our next post. But even before you write your book, you need to make sure you’ll have an audience beyond your relatives.

Friedman says that if your goal is to bring your work successfully to the marketplace, it’s a waste of time to self-publish that work, if you haven’t yet cultivated an audience for it, or can’t market and promote it effectively through your network.

So how do you nurture your audience? There are many tools with which to do this. Start with the web. Creating your own website and working with social media are almost no-brainers. But make sure you’re using them correctly. Facebook is great for keeping up with your old high school pals, but that’s not going to help you sell your book. Instead, or at least in addition, create posts about your area of expertise, and start dropping hints about your upcoming book. That will both whet your friends’ appetites and force you to really write it.

And don’t just lean on Facebook. Tweet regularly. Use LinkedIn. Post videos on YouTube. And send people from all those sites to your website, where you can totally position yourself as an expert in your chosen field.

Just like you’ll need an editor for your book, make sure someone else signs off on your online efforts as well. Another set of eyes is always a good idea, whether it’s to critique the design of your site or to suggest that maybe posting those photos of you and your friends at the bar isn’t going to showcase your expertise and might even turn off some members of your potential audience.

Then there’s the world beyond the web. Joining local groups or boards, from charitable organizations to business groups, can offer numerous benefits. Not only will you be expanding your circle of influence, but you’ll in all likelihood learn new skills and even meet new friends. Win-win!

           

Books - The Ultimate Calling Card

Want to become an instant expert?

            Write a book.

            Want to increase your credibility?

            Write a book.

            Want to leapfrog the competition, strengthen your leadership position, and bolster your brand?

            That’s right. Write a book.

It sounds so simple. And it can be, as we can walk you through the process, from beginning to end.

Books are the ultimate calling card. Why hand out a business card, when you can hand out a book?

There’s really no better marketing tool than having a book with your name on the cover.  Custom book publishing is one of today’s most effective business strategies in reaching targeted groups of people with information relevant to their needs, interests, and lifestyles. By introducing yourself to those who already shares your field of interest, you are reaching the most valuable audience.

Whatever your area of expertise, being seen as an authority gains you an audience that will see you as an expert. And that expertise translates into increased income. According to the Publishing Institute, writing a book boosts revenue 380% for consultants, 219% for public speakers and 194% for real estate agents.

Rather than trying a scattershot approach with broad-based advertising, such as on television or newspapers, a book will find you a market that is already focused on your field. Using the power of your own book will also gain you another advantage: People are looking for someone to trust, and you become that someone.

A book has staying power that far outlasts any advertisement. The strength of a book’s inherent permanence can maximize your marketing dollars with a message that endures. You will always be seen as the expert, rather than someone just trying to find business. And a trade quality, commercially viable publication conveys your message with style. 

In 1981, marketing gurus Al Ries and Jack Trout wrote the best-seller Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind. In it, they posited that the best way to increase your visibility and your presence is to be first in the mind of the consumers. Getting in front of consumers with a book gives you that advantage. 

Whatever your field of expertise – law, politics, music, science – writing a book solidifies your expertise. Sarah Susanka was just another architect until she codified her design experience in a book extolling the virtues of smaller, better homes in direct opposition to so called “McMansions.” The Not So Big House became a best-seller, spawning a series of sequels, including Not So Big Remodeling: Tailoring Your Home for the Way You Really Live; The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live; and Creating the Not So Big House: Insights and Ideas for the New American Home.

Now Susanka is a major player in architecture. She’s been featured in numerous articles in newspapers, magazines, and online publications, on dozens of TV shows, from HGTV to This Old House, and is much in demand as a speaker. Her architecture business has exploded, and she’s seen as an expert in a field she basically created.  All because she wrote a book.

Despite the fact that we are living in the digital age, books continue to serve as a powerful platform for projecting an author’s (or brand’s) leadership, vision and expertise in a particular market. Books also provide value as a conversation starter and as a source of credibility with influential people, including media, prospects and clients.